Brave
by iPodDancer
Summary: He was brave. He just didn't see it until I helped him find it. AH. Slash. Don't like, don't read.
1. introductions

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, just the plot. The characters belong to the obvious. I just play with them.

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** BRAVE**  
_by SarahSmile1986_

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**01. I See You**

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Kids are cruel.

Add in the fact that it's a small town, and they're even worse.

The parents are no better, with their judgmental stares and too-loud gossip. They try to whisper, try to act like they're not the nosy neighbors they come off as, but it's all a lie. There's nothing to do in such a small town, where the population is just a little over 3,000. There's one diner, a sporting goods store, a half-assed supermarket, one high school, a main street, and a police station which houses three deputies and a chief. If you want to do anything fun, it's best to drive an hour into the next town, but even that doesn't have much. Just more than here.

It's a quiet town.

For Edward Masen, it's a narrow-minded town.

The residents of Forks, Washington, don't like change, and they fear the things that they don't understand. They frown down on those who dare to look different, or act differently. With fear breeds anger, and that anger often finds itself lashing out on unsuspecting people. The townspeople are quick to turn their backs on you the second you reveal something that they believe should have remained unsaid, kept hidden.

Things that should have… stayed in the closet, so to speak.

Edward knows this firsthand; he's been experiencing it since eighth grade, when he let slip something that he's been afraid to say to anyone, let alone his so-called friends, because he knew how small-minded these people can be, and he knows how mean kids are, and this was just more fodder for them to tease him with.

So, when he gets up in the mornings to ready for school, he avoids looking at himself in the mirror when he steps into the bathroom to shower. He avoids his parents' concerned questions and worried glances in his direction as he pushes food around on his plate without tasting any of it. His clothes hardly fit anymore; as the weeks go by, Edward has to cinch his belt tighter and tighter to keep his pants up. His shirts are baggy, his hair long and shaggy-looking. He hasn't put much effort into his appearance since who knows how long.

The baggy clothes and the long hair, they help him feel invisible. Like, if he has something to hide behind, or in, it helps to make his final year of high school relatively easier.

Kids may be cruel, but teenagers are ruthless.

So, as Edward walks through the halls with his head down, the ends of his long sleeves tugged just far enough to wrap around his hands and stuffed inside the front pouch of his hooded sweatshirt, he's not as invisible as he thinks he's been.

The new student, Jasper Whitlock, the boy who's been fawned over since he moved here at the beginning of summer, watches his every move. Jade eyes watch, a touch of sadness for the haunted, beautiful boy who seems scared of even his own shadow, curls in on himself as he walks through the crowd of students, their peers.

When one of them sticks his foot out blocking Edward's path, and the boy with crazy hair lands sprawled in the middle of the hallway with his books spread out in front of him, the rest of the student body laughing, there's a rush of anger that has Jasper seeing red, blazing hot, and if he doesn't get himself under control soon, he'll end up doing something that will get him suspended on his first day of school, maybe even expelled. He can't risk it, no matter how much these assholes deserve it.

They'll get what's coming to them.

In the meantime, he watches Edward slowly rise up onto his hands and knees, scrambling for his dropped books that the other students have decided to use in their sudden game of keep-away. Having had enough of the bullshit, Jasper walks toward the crowd, and when he kneels down to help Edward gather his books, everybody is quiet. Jasper looks up and shoots the students a look that gets them scurrying off to their classes before they're late.

No need to worry about fitting in anymore. He basically just cemented his status as an outcast.

It's just the two of them, now.

They both reach out for the same book at the same, hands bumping and lingering in their touch. Or maybe that was just Jasper's imagination, because Edward snapped his hand back pretty quickly. Jasper picked up the forgotten book and held it out for Edward to take, giving him a small but friendly smile. He hopes it's coming off as sincere, genuine.

When Edward reaches for his textbook, Jasper takes it another step farther:

"I'm Jasper."

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_So, new story. Trying to get some juices flowing. **That Girl **doesn't want to cooperate with me at the moment, and I'm feeling stuck on the TT25 entries. Now this. This is something I've been wanting to write for awhile, but was trying to wait until I finish at least one story. I don't think that's my thing, though. _

_Next chapter is already written. It'll be up soon. Like, say, this weekend._

_Oh! Before I forget, Jasper already knows Edward's name, because it's Forks and gossip spreads like wildfire, so on his first day, Jasper would have gotten the low-down on certain people, including Edward. Jasper only introduces himself because he figures that Edward may not have heard it yet._

_Reviews = love. _

_See you soon._


	2. treading lightly

**BRAVE  
**02. Treading Lightly

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Jasper would like to say that in the two weeks since he officially introduced himself to Edward, they've been inseparable. Unfortunately, that isn't the case. Every time Jasper goes out of his way to speak to the other boy, even if it's a simple greeting, Edward doesn't say anything back. Instead he keeps his head ducked down, avoiding eye contact at all costs, trying his damnedest to blend into the crowd, but that's impossible when three of the boys in their class go out of their way to torment him on a daily basis. They don't get very far, because Jasper is quick to step in and put an end to things before they get out of control.

He tries his best to engage Edward, first by asking if he's all right, which usually just earns him a quick, curt nod, before the boy walks off in the direction of his next class. Then he'll move on to just asking Edward about his day, about his classes, trying to get to know him better, but so far no such luck. Every question is usually met with complete silence. Jasper has a sinking feeling that Edward doesn't trust him - and why should he? - but if the other boy won't speak, then Jasper can't convince him that he's one of the good guys.

As it is, Edward and Jasper do have one class together: English. However, they sit at opposite ends of the room: Jasper in the very back, and Edward in the front, by the door. If Jasper has to hazard a guess, it's so the boy can be the first person out of the door when the bell rings.

It's easy to see that Edward's smart. He's not the boastful, always-raising-his-hand kind of smart. He's more subtle about it. It's obvious he hates the attention, so he sits in his desk and scribbles everything down that the teacher has written on the chalkboard without missing a beat. His head stays down, his pen keeps moving, and Jasper has half a mind to pretend to flunk the class just to see if he can get the quiet, shy boy to tutor him. But even Jasper knows that that idea is ludicrous, so he shoves it aside without another thought and tries to focus on the rest of the lesson.

****B****

When the bell finally signals the end of class and the start of the lunch period, Jasper watches as Edward doesn't even take the time to put his things back into his bag before he bolts. In his haste, though, Edward doesn't see that he's dropped his pen onto the floor. Jasper does. He knows it's only a pen and Edward likely has many more in his bag that are just as useful, but Jasper is thinking that _this _pen will be the key to getting Edward to talk to him, finally. He's getting it into his head that for whatever reason, Edward won't be able to concentrate without this particular pen.

Really, anything Jasper can use to get the other boy to talk to him is his goal.

He packs his things, grabs the pen from the floor, and hurries out of the classroom so he can catch up to his - hopefully - soon-to-be new best friend. At least, for now they can be friends. Jasper's been having dreams about the boy these past two weeks, and while he's been pretty sure of his sexuality for a good, long while now, everything that's happened since he helped Edward with his scattered books seems to have clinched it for him.

By the time Jasper makes it into the cafeteria, the room's already packed full with students, and Edward seems to be nowhere. Jasper's shoulders slump the tiniest bit, until something catches his eye off to the side of the lunch room, in the direction of the other set of doors leading outside.

It's Edward, and he seems to be making a beeline for those other doors, probably to eat his lunch away from the sneers and taunts of his so-called peers. Jasper looks towards the lunch line to gauge how long it'd take for him to buy something quick, only to realize that there's just one cash register open, so of course, it'll be clogged for awhile. He'll just wait until after school and eat something when he gets home. Decision made, Jasper makes his way through the crowded room and follows Edward into the gray, afternoon light.

He thinks about calling out to Edward, to get him to slow down so Jasper can catch up, but he gets the feeling that if he did that, then Edward would just bolt again and it'd be back to square one.

So, he remains silent in his voice, but he takes extra caution to make his steps heard so he doesn't completely frighten the poor boy.

Edward slows his walking to a complete stop before slumping his shoulders in what Jasper perceives as defeat. Like Edward just gave up trying to avoid Jasper. Edward's next words seem to reflect that.

With a sigh, the boy asks, "What do you want, Jasper?"

_Maybe he won't be needing that pen excuse after all..._

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_Next chapter is in the process of being written. If all goes well, it can be up by Sunday, some time. We'll see._

_Reviews = love._

_See you soon._


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